Our Venerable Father Pimen
2 Corinthians 10:7-18; Mark 3:28-35
Read 2 Corinthians 10:7-18
Did you know that the early desert fathers, starting with Evagrius of Pontus, identified eight logismoi (thoughts) that tend to disorder natural desires that can lead to sin? The eight thoughts are gluttony, lust, avarice, sadness, anger, despondency (akedia), vainglory, and pride. You can check out the UGCC Catechism, Christ Our Pascha, paragraphs 759-779. Saint Gregory the Great reduced this list to seven—many know this list as the seven deadly sins.
The last two thoughts, vainglory and pride, are related. For the sake of our reflection, these thoughts deal with pride interiorly and exteriorly. Vainglory is like an interior peacock who likes to show its feathers in full. At times, we want so much to be liked, to be loved, to be of value that we actually seek it out in a feigned humility; we seek the attention of others. We may even fish for their compliments. It is a form of pride that is expressed to the self. It is far removed from what real self-worth is all about. Pride is the exterior form whereby we announce our greatness, or even force it upon others, in our intentions, words, and behaviour. For both vainglory and pride, it is all about me.
Saint Paul had his detractors in Corinth. They pressed the Christians in Corinth. Paul makes it clear. “Let him who boasts, boast of the Lord” —it’s a quote from Jeremiah 9:23-24. Paul answers his detractors and sets an example for the Corinthians, and, today, for us—if I am going to preach about the Lord Jesus Christ, then it will be about Him and Him alone. It will not be about me and others. Let’s throw vainglory and pride aside. Let’s live and preach the Gospel with our whole lives and without compromise!